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Nov 20, 2017

We had a terrific November gathering on Saturday with wonderful music from Mark Cameron, Kells Pipes and Drums, and Hal Senyk! As always we thank all the competitors, volunteers, and performers who made the evening memorable. But most importantly, thanks to YOU for supporting OPS by showing up! If you haven't already you can always help OPS even more by becoming a member.

The Competition

As usual, we were treated to wonderful music from our piping and drumming competitors. We have results available on our results page, and if you are a piper or drummer don't forget to register for the competition next month! You won't want to miss the opportunity to get comments from our featured performer in December.Evening Program

Following our competition we enjoyed fine piping by our Local Hero Mark Cameron, guest pipe band the Kells Pipes and Drums, and featured performer, Hal Senyk. We are hugely grateful to all our performers for making the evening so worthwhile, and to our great team of volunteer organizers, bartenders, servers, and chef for providing wonderful food and drink to our patrons.(See our facebook page for more great photos of the event)Our Next Event is December 16th featuring Glenfiddich piping champion Jack Lee!

Jack is truly among the world's greatest pipers and we are so fortunate to have him join us in December right here at OPS. Make your plans now to attend, tell your friends, and we will see you next month!

Nov 14, 2017

The days are getting shorter and Thanksgiving is around the corner, but OPS is ready to bring a fantastic evening of bagpipes and Scottish culture to our monthly gathering at the Historic Oddfellows Hall in Milwaukie, OR. You are cordially invited to join us THIS Saturday, November 18th!

The Competition

Our event will begin at 4:30 with solo piping and drumming competition. Hal Senyk will be our adjudicator (more on him below). Our competition inspires pipers and drummers to practice hard, perform publicly, and reap the benefits of receiving feedback from some of the best pipers in North America. It's one of the most important things that we do at OPS and a great reason to become a member. You can also support the competitors by arriving early and enjoying the wonderful music! Check out our our competition page for details on how to sign up.

Following the competition until the start of the evening program, we encourage piping, drumming, playing fiddles, guitars, and any other instrument you may care to bring! We love all forms of Scottish, Irish, and roots/traditional music. Jamming is encouraged at OPS!

The Evening Program

At 7:30 pm our official program begins. As usual we will have a band, a Local Hero (our local hero is a competitor who, in the spirit of OPS, steps forward to perform a short recital), and our featured piper.

Our friend Mark Cameron will be our featured piper for the month, and our pipe band will be a contingent of Kells Pipes and Drums!

Sponsored by Kell’s Irish Restaurant and Pub, Kell’s Irish Pipes and Drums began in the mid-1990’s in Portland, Oregon. Currently, the band is joined by several members of the Fort Vancouver Pipe Band with the two bands performing together on many occasions. The approach the band takes is to play music that is inclusive of all types of Celtic backgrounds. The main idea is to play well and to have fun while we do this. Many of the members have been playing for a number of years, but we encourage people to join who are at all levels of proficiency. Performers ages can range from age 12 through late 70’s.

Kells Pipes and Drums

Come hungry! We will have homemade soup, salad, and pizza, while OPS board members and volunteers served soft drinks, beer, wine, and Scotch at the bar.

Hal is a veteran piper, pipe major, instructor, adjudicator, and is a longtime leader within the British Columbia Pipers Association (BCPA). He played for bands including the Canadian Scottish Regiment until 1971, and the Muirhead & Sons Pipe Band (5 time World Champion Grade 1). Hal was also a was Pipe Major of the Triumph Street Pipe Band, making them one of the premier Grade 1 bands in North America and the world.

After Hal's retirement from the band in the early 1990's, he played with the Abbotsford and Maple Ridge (New Westminster Police) bands, and has since become one of the assistant instructors with the White Spot (juvenile) band.

Hal was also a successful solo competitor for many years, having won many professional prizes in light music and piobaireachd. He was the first Canadian to win a major prize in Scotland, winning the March competition in Inverness in 1972, helping to set the stage for more Canadians to make their mark on the Scottish piping scene.